Monday, 4 November 2013

On Tuesday Oct 8th I said this, lots!!! And panicked a bit, and told the Universe I wasn't impressed!

On the Monday night I went out for dinner with V. She was full of the news of her (somewhat mad, I think she'll agree) new adventure. On my walk home I found myself thinking that some new adventure would be good - ha, careful what you wish for!On my arrival at work on the Tuesday morning, having ditched the coat and put lunch in the fridge, the boss calls me over. Do I need pen and paper says I? No, says he. Uh-oh, says I.Long story short I'm being made redundant, let go, sacked...it's all very amicable. Both sides knew there was a risk involved when I started working there and it just hasn't worked out. I'm re-assured by the boss that it's nothing I've done (or haven't done) and that I'll get a months notice, and that he'll do all he can to help me...Right Universe - that wasn't quite what I had in mind when I said I'd like a bit of adventure!!!I already had a sort of Saturday job lined up with the guy that I've been doing event work for so there was one day a week but what about the other four? I'm still paying out for the flat in Kent don't forget!!I spent a very demoralising weekend surfing the web looking for Xmas jobs and ended up walking round the shops looking in the windows for ads for Xmas temps - my theory being, grab an Xmas job, take the pressure off.Five on-line applications, three application forms and three CV's with cover letters later and I felt a little better. Then one of the on-line ones came back to say I had been unsuccessful swiftly followed by another - that wasn't a good start.

Another came back inviting me to a recruitment event so I booked myself in, then I went through the mountain of paperwork they sent only to discover I didn't have the relevant ID here in Devon with me. Gave them a call to see if there was any room for manoeuvre, could I attend and then get the ID to them, I had after all been working for the Police for the last eight years or so - no, definitely not, had to have the papers as requested. Well that was the end of that then.Another invite to a recruitment event - on the outskirts of Chard, in Somerset!! As most of you know I don't drive. After some web surfing I discover that I can get there but it'll take me two and a half hours (each way) and involves multiple buses. After several emails back and forth I take myself off to the local store in question and see if they can help. The very nice assistant manager says she'll sort something and get back to me.

So it's been a couple of weeks and so far I'm not getting very far. There's a couple of posts I'm toying with applying for but the hours are awful (nights or 5am starts) and the location is a bit of a bugger to get to. There is definitely some head in sand action going on and I know it. Strangely though that doesn't motivate me to do much about it!! After 3 weeks I end up with three interviews/recruitment events that I can attend. I am lucky in that since leaving Uni I have had about six jobs but only had to attend an interview for one of them. Well, lucky then but now I'm pooping my pants as I have no idea what to expect. The interview I did have was nearly nine years ago...I do a little bit of swatting, checking out the shops website careers pages and having a nosey on Wikipedia, but decide that the best I can do is be myself (good advice from an on-line group I'm part of).Interview one is me and another person. We've been asked to take three photo's with us to show what we are like, what we like to do etc. A quick trip to town to get some printed and I chose the below...

This one to cover my love of reading - that's Raymond E Feist and I've been reading his books since I was 18

This one covers both the fact I liking taking pics and the fact I love the sea.

And this one 'coz I love my family (even if this pic is missing a brother!)We chat about our pics, chat a bit in general, then get sent off to the shop floor to pick some outfits for certain scenarios (it's a clothes shop). After that it's back for some one on one questions. Thanks very much, we'll let you know in a couple of weeks. I don't think it went too well but I have nothing to gauge it against.Next interview is completely one on one, just me and the manager. She's lovely and it's very relaxed. Quite a bit of giggling, and the swatting up I did on Wikipedia comes in handy. This one seemed to go better and they'll let me know in a week or less.Final one is a bit more of a recruitment event. There are nine of us ranging from a 17 year old fresh from college to an older chap who is trying to get back into the work force. We start off with a 'chat to your neighbour, find out about them, then tell the rest of us'. I hate those!! We also have to decide if we were an object what would we be!! I went for suitcase for the chance to travel. There are another couple of exercises and some general information and then we're done. This one seemed OK too. I piped up a couple of times but didn't take over. They'll let us know in the next few days.

Last Friday I got a call from one of the above (Cath Kidston) to offer me a position - hurrah, I took it. About ten minutes later one of the others called to offer me a position - too late (but a nice little boost for the ego!).

So today I went in for my training, got my badge and my pinny and had a good day. It's 'only' a part time temporary position but there will be the opportunity to grab overtime as it gets nearer to Christmas. I have my rota for this week and next and I'm already down to do more than my contracted hours - bonus.Hopefully I will be able to work the event work around the hours I do at the shop - they have to give me a day off right!My plan is to work as much as I can between now and the new year and try and keep myself near the level I was. There is a small possibility that the job could be extended or even become more long term but I can't count on that. I will have eyes and ears open for another position but it has to be flexible enough to allow the event work as that's what I really think I want to be doing in the full on long term. That again is a bit of a suck it and see position (so to speak) but I know the boss is putting a lot more thought into how to make it work from the start so hopefully it won't go the same way. That is due to start properly in the next couple of weeks - the office is still being built at the moment!So, there you have my last month in a nutshell - fingers crossed for the future...

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

So, I've was under the impression that we didn't have wireless at the office as my computer had to be connected to the internet by one of those old fashioned cable things!!!Of course, I've now discovered that there is wireless, it's just it's a desktop machine without wi-fi capability!! But, you know what, I found that out over a week ago. The boss has told me where to find the wi-fi key so I can connect my phone up, yet I haven't.Don't get me wrong, I still check out my emails and facebook on that desktop machine. But in general I log in whilst I'm having my lunch, have a quick catch up, and log out again. No distractions from the notifications popping up, or the junk emails coming in.I'm quite liking it!!

Thursday, 22 August 2013

As many of you know I HATE packing and generally leave it to the last minute always packing too much and being convinced I've forgotten something vitally important.I've just done my packing for the annual festival I work at and I seem to have too much room in my case. This may be because I've forgotten something or because I did the 'rolling' method for packing.

In the case in the above picture...(the chair is in the pic to give an idea of size!)

Very chunky jumperUnicorn onesie (the Sunday theme was animals and this onesie made a good pillow for the week too!)GilletLong sleeve t-shirtStrappy top x4T-shirt x4Long skirtLong shorts x2Long top x3Leggings x2Linen trousers Dress PJsShort Wellies Relevant undiesA LARGE toilet bagTowelPicnic blanketTorchSoft toy unicornOther odds and ends

In a separate bagWaterproof coatNormal wellies SandalsM's short welliesMy daily rucksack will have my laptop and charger, phone charger, waterproof trousers, notebook etc. And there is also my sleeping bag.I'll be wearing jeans, top, hoodie, 'work' boots and have my waterproof coat with me.I tend to go on the layering principal so at the start of the day it's normally strappy top, t-shirt, jumper, jacket and as I warm up the layers come off, going back on as the day cools down again. I don't know about you but my legs feel the cold a lot less than the rest of me so a combination of 'long' shorts and knee high socks does me fine as will leggings or my long skirt/dress.I normally always overpack but when you don't know what the weather will be like you have to consider the fact that you could get drenched several days in a row!!I'll do a list when I get back of what actually got worn!!

I did buy a floaty tunic, this years festival t-shirt, a festival vest top, a linen floaty top and a pair of harem pants. I wore the vest top on the last day so that explains why the last strappy top didn't get worn!! There were also a lot of pairs of socks that didn't get warm as it was sandal weather a lot of the time and I DO NOT do socks and sandals!!

Overall I was pretty pleased with the levels of what got worn and what didn't. Had it been cooler/wetter then I think the other bits would have been worn.

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

I've always been pretty good with money (at least I like to think so!). Due to aquiring some money before Uni I managed to come out with only one student loan and as I was one of the first to get one the earnings threshold was ridiculously high and as yet I haven't had to start paying it back.My job in London was well paid. Due to an error I went for quite some time without the incremental pay rise I should have received. When I spotted this it was backdated and my monthly salary adjusted to a new level. The lump sum I got went into a savings account (after a small treat) and I carried on living off my pre pay rise income and put the extra into a savings account each month. If there was any money left at the end of the month that went into savings too. I saved. I was a good saver. Yes I was a good spender too, trips to shows in London, purchases from eBay, but I still predominantly shopped in charity shops and was happy to do the grocery shopping at Lidl! I stuck to my means.Fast forward to my current situation. I have taken a significant pay cut and am now paying out for two properties - as you can imagine, that doesn't compute!! By the time I have paid all the bills for the flat I am trying to sell and the rent for where I am currently staying (which is well below 'market' rate and includes my bills) there is no money at the end of the month. Never mind no money to save, there is no money to eat, entertain, buy clothes or the occasional treat!! I am now living off those savings I so diligently put by. Don't get me wrong, I knew that would be the situation and because I made the effort to save I'm in a position where I can do this. I guess this counts as the proverbial 'rainy day'. What I didn't expect was how not being able to save would get to me.I would like to go and see J, but to do that not only do I need the money to get there and back but I'd also need a new passport - that's £75 on it's own.I'd really like one of these for my eBook reader - I don't need it true but it would be nice.

I've wanted this bracelet for ages...

I'd like to be able to go back to Kent and visit M. Head up north to see S & W...

I'm pretty much decided on my fourth tattoo... In the past I would have said - OK then, lets save for that. Or if I can save half of the cost of it, I'll treat myself and take the other half from what I'd already saved. I'd sell some stuff on eBay.

But what do you do when there is no money left at the end of the month and everything you buy comes out of your savings? When you do pick up some extra work and get some extra cash it all goes in the same pot and in the long run the little voice in you head says you need to keep it so that it can pay for food etc in the future. It seems that much more frivolous to say 'OK, that was extra so I can spend it'. I'm far from destitute, I know that, I have a roof over my head, food on the table etc etc. I also know that at some point if my flat doesn't sell I'll have to head back to Kent and get a job there, this can't go on indefinitely. Or (looking at the positive) if the flat does sell then problem solved! I'm just finding it a tough place to be right now...rant over!!!

Sunday, 14 July 2013

I threatened to show you my flat so after a quick tidy up here it is...This is my hall...

On the immediate right (you can't see it in this pic) is the kitchen. The door on the right is a cupboard, next to that is the bathroom door, and at the end is the bedroom (living room, office!)So the kitchen...

The health grill is normally in the cupboard and the two ring cooker (seen next to the sink) is normally in that space but I used the grill today and will be using it tomorrow so didn't bother to put it away!! The white thing leaning up against the wall is the old piece of worktop that went in the gap between the unit and the wall...

...where the fridge is now. The landlord needs to come up with a support so that he can then put a smaller piece in to fill the gap.

The bathroom...

It's quite long and narrow with a shower over the bath. This sink is pretty much behind the door and is quite dark as the wall with the shower on it cuts out most of the natural light!!

There is NO storage in the bathroom other than the windowsill, the little shelf under the mirror and the small shelf at the side of the sink (that however isn't really attached very well so you can't put anything heavy on it!!) The bedroom...

Yes I am nearly 36 and yes I still have soft toys on my bed!! As you can imagine the bed takes up most of the room!!

Chest of drawers and chair. The chair doesn't get sat on but is very useful for having my work bag on it. The silver thing has my earrings hung round it's rim and there is a candle in the other side.

The wardrobes are built in and have my necklaces hanging on the door handles!! The book case is half empty and I intend for it to get emptier!! The books to the left of the big white square will be read and then head off to the charity shop!!

The lounge...

I only bought the hat yesterday and haven't come up with a better place to put it yet!! This is a nice place to sit with my feet up (on the office chair) next to the window/radiator (depending on the temperature!) reading a book.The office / dining room...

Self explanatory really!!! I sit here to eat as I don't have a tray and balancing a plate on my lap on the armchair would be a recipe for disaster!! This chair gets shifted nearer the arm chair to use as a foot rest.And that's it - it's small but for now it's home!!

Saturday, 13 July 2013

I rarely shop in 'proper' shops when it comes to clothes etc. Charity shops are fine by me, but is it me or they getting expensive?I go past a sign for a boot fair, that is held every Saturday afternoon during the summer, on my way to and from work. With the weather being so nice I wanted to be out an about so as something different to do today I decided to go along. It also helps that it doesn't open to punters until 1pm so I didn't have to get up early!!I got all of the below - plus three books that aren't in the picture for the grand total of £11.10!!! That's eight books, a dress, a skirt, a hat and a matching earring and necklace set. Now that's more like it!!

Thursday, 11 July 2013

So, as you know I don't have a TV
here in Devon which has meant occupying myself in other ways. I was
dreadful, I'd get in at around 5.30 and the TV would go pretty much
straight on and stay on til bedtime - soaps, drama, general rubbish!!!

Have
I missed it since I haven't had it - well, to be honest, NOPE!! And
no-one is more surprised about that than me. I have wi-fi so I have
access to iPlayer, ITV player, 4 on demand etc etc and yes I have
watched some odds and ends but mainly series (Dr Who, Broadchurch, Call
the Midwife, Scott and Bailey, Foyle's War), no mindless soap watching.
I also have a dvd player (laptop) and a LoveFilm membership via my bank
account and I've watched a few films and series that I've got through
that. One of the main reasons I don't think I've watched a huge amount
is because my laptop gets REALLY hot and it's pretty uncomfortable
having it sat on my lap after a while!!

There
have been a couple of occasions where it would have been nice to curl
up and watch some rubbish TV, a cold winter afternoon and when I've been
poorly but those instances have been few and far between.

I
back to Kent for a long weekend a few weeks back and wasn't tempted to
put the TV on (which was lucky as I've cancelled the TV licence). I was
much happier seeing friends, chatting and living my life than watching
fictional characters live theirs! The main thing I have done to fill in
the time though has been read. Those of you that know me know I read
quite a bit anyway but I think 43 books in six months is pretty good
going even for me!!! They are a real mixture mainly because Starbucks
were doing a free voucher code every week and quite a few of them were
books. I will give most things a go when it comes to reading and even if
I don't really like the style I will often read to the end anyway - I
hate stopping part way through a book and not getting to the end!The Feist books I am reading for a
second time. Some of you know that I have been reading Feist since I was
introduced to Magician when I was 18. He has written 30 books over the
course of 30 years that all interlink with each other or carry on the
lives/families from the very first one. Earlier this year the 30th book
was published in the UK and will bring the whole lot to a conclusion! I
was lucky enough to get to meet the author and get a cloth bound copy of
the very first book and a hardback copy of the last book signed. As I
know this will be the last time we will meet these characters there is a
part of me that doesn't want to read the last book yet - so I decided
to read the whole lot, start to finish!! I'm reading them in published
order and have done 7 books so far - 23 to go!!Anyway - I seem to have waffled quite a bit here so I'm off to carry on with the 44th book!!

Started 6th JanPeter Robinson - The Price of Love (collection of short stories)Jo Nesbo - The Redeemer (grisly detective tale)Billie Piper - Growing Pains (autobiography)Tess Stevens - Sold (autobiography)Chas Newkey-Burden - Amy Winehouse 1983-2001 (biography)Tony Hawks - Round Ireland with a Fridge (hitch hiking round Ireland with a fridge to win a bet!)Lionel Shriver - We Need To Talk About Kevin (gruesome book about a kid who carries out a high school massacre)James Bowen - A Street Cat Named Bob (autobiography)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe and Death in a Salubrious Place (detective novel)Paullina Simons - Tully (novel about growing up) Lauren Weisberger - The Devil Wears Prada (girly)Jo Nesbo - The Snowman (crime thriller) Marcia Willett - Forgotten Laughter (family life)Margot Aczel - From Death Row With Love (true story of a death row inmate)Sue Moorcroft - All That Mullarkey (chick lit!)Christopher Paolini - Brisingr (3rd book in the Inheritance Cycle - dragons and elves etc!)Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (4th and last book of the Inheritance Cycle) Sabine Dardenne - I Choose to Live (story of her kidnap and subsequent the trial)John le Carre - The Constant Gardener (who dunnit conspiracy)Kylie Chan - White Tiger (1st in a trilogy, gods, dragons, and lots of other strange goings on!)Kylie Chan - Red Phoenix (2nd in the trilogy) Kylie Chan - Blue Dragon (3rd in the trilogy)Marian Keyes - Rachel's Holiday (chick lit)Jane Lovering - Vampire State of Mind (choc lit with vampires) Ken Follett - The Pillars of the Earth (epic about building cathedrals and the lives that revolve around it)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe and How to Kill a Cat (detective novel)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe and the Pea-Green Boat (detective novel)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe and the School Girls (detective novel)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe in Paul's Court (detective novel)Nancy Farmer - A Girl Named Disaster (coming of age story set in Africa)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe and the Beales (detective novel)Raymond E Feist - Magician (elves, dwarves, men and magic!)W. J. Burley - Wycliffe and the Tangled Web (detective novel)

Raymond E. Feist - Silverthorn (2nd in the trilogy)

Raymond E. Feist - A Darkness at Sethanon (3rd in the trilogy)

W J Burley - Wycliffe and the Four Jacks (detective novel)

W J Butley - Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death (detective novel)

Raymond E Feist & Janny Wurts - Daughter of the Empire (1st in a trilogy linked to Magician and the others)

Raymond E. Feist - Prince of the Blood (following the story of the Magician trilogy)

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Well I've just logged in to update this knowing I was a few days behind - I didn't realise I was almost a week behind! Then I got to thinking - the reason I got behind was because there have been soooo many good things this week I've been too busy enjoying them to write them down and that's got to be the BEST thing.So in no particular order a selection of good things from the past week.Sunshine, pebble beach, birdsong, good customer service, bacon sarnies, friends, outdoors work, fresh air, line dried washing, bubble baths, flip flops, 'in' jokes, new nicknames, shared stories and appreciation.

I don't think I'm going to continue to regularly post 3 Good Things now. I've done it for five months and over that time I think it's served it's purpose. No matter how rubbish a day, if you have a think there will be something good in there somewhere. Even if it's only the fact that you've made it through that day, it's over and tomorrow you can start again...

Saturday, 4 May 2013

1. The little girl on the bus proudly announcing 'I'm sitting in the old lady seat!'2. Finding exactly what you were after at a sensible price and then finding it's 50% off when you pay3. Sitting in the garden drinking tea with the landlord and landlady

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

1. A blustery walk on the seafront after too long staring at a computer screen
2. Grandad and the kids playing pitch and putt in the drizzle with smiles on their faces
3. The chippy across the road when you just can't be bothered!